The Havelocks, last year’s wooden spoonists started the new season with a bang. In the opening game against Kandy SC, League champions for the past ten years, they nearly toppled the ‘giants’. Kandy scraped through at 16-13 at Havelock Park. In the next outing Havelocks had the better of the Army winning the game 36-13.
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| Ana Sarnapala (Director Coaching), Kavida Jayasena (Capt) and Thusitha Peiris (Head Coach) |
Today (Sunday June 19), the Havies will be up against the vastly strengthened Air Force at Havelock Park. Will the Havelocks game plan work? Let’s wait and see.
Ananda Sarnapala, Director Coaching at Havelocks said of the lost game against Kandy. “We were pressing in the last stages. Our three-quarters missed three tries. We are giving youth a break this time. We should have done it years ago,”
There is a renewed feeling at Havelock Park these days. They are not short of players.
The seniors are there to encourage the youngsters. Rain or sunshine the lads are there on the grounds. Ana Sarnapala, Head Coach Thusitha Peiris, Lucky Bandara (Manager), Consultant Sanath Martis, Michael Jayasekera, last year’s skipper Rajeev Perera, Leonard De Zilva, Mohtilal Jayatilleke and Roshan Deen are ever ready to assist the youngsters.
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| Angsta Sae |
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Atelea Uaiseley |
The Park Club which has been in the doldrums since of late did not have a sponsor last year. They struggled through the odds. Havelock fans watched in agony the side being plastered by lesser known sides.
“We are on a better footing this year. We have set 2015 as the year that the Havelocks will be Triple Champions. We are working hard towards it,” said Ana Sarnapala a die-hard Havelocks stand off of the 60’s. Sarnapala seems to have the situation under control.
Amongst the youngsters hard at training were two new and very foreign faces at that. They are Angsta Sae and Atelea Uaiseley, two Tongans who have turned out for Tonga and the Auckland Development squad.
The bushy haired Angsta Sai plays at stand off. He is quick to pass the ball and ever ready to join the line. Atelea Uaiseley plays at No 8, but on that day when I met him at the Havelocks he was sporting an ankle injury. According to Ana Sarnapala he should be fit for today’s outing against Air Force.
Added to these is the best news that the Havies have received this season is that they have a Sponsor. Nations Lanka Finance PLC headed by former Thomian rugby player and Coach Asanga Seneviratne and Jayantha Dharmadasa as well have come to give the Havies a life line. Asanga Seneviratne is a Vice President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) and if everything works to plan he should be the head of the SLRFU in due course.
After watching Kandy SC struggle to beat Havelocks in the opening game, Malik Samarawickrema, the man-behind Kandy SC’s success, has commented that this will not be a one way street for Kandy this season.
All this is due to the efforts of the SLRFU who has allowed two foreigners to be brought into teams that had been languishing in the league competition last year. Benefiting from this move are the Havelocks and CH&FC.
The impressive list of some of those who are attending practices for Havelocks this year are: Muthuthanthri (STC), Pushpakumara, Nimesh Perera, Lee Keegel Min Chin (STC), Mohammed Nadeera (Wesley), Sathera (Dharmaraja), Asitha (STC). Thirunakumara (Lumbini), Claud Kumar, Dirham Warnakulasuriya, Kavinda Jayasena (Captain), Chamara Vithanage, Galapathi, Chamara Vithanage, Buksh, Anuruddha Wilwara,, Zakir, Wasim Thajudeen, Rajeev Perera. Yasira Mendis (Mahanama), Rajindra Gunasekera (STC Captain) and Anjula De Silva.
There was a large turn out for the Havelocks-Kandy game and if Havelocks keep on improving the crowds are bound to return and the match against CR&FC will once again be the blue ribband of local club rugby. |
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